Sanctions and asset-freezing law

Background

Issued: 19 July 2019

Last revised: 28 May 2025

Jersey sanctions framework

The Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Jersey) Law 2019 (the SAFL) came in to force on 19 July 2019. 

The Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions) (Jersey) Order 2021 (the Jersey Order) was made under the SAFL on 29 January 2021 and came into force on 12 February 2021.

Both, the SAFL and the Jersey Order, are the Island's key pieces of sanctions legislation, under which it implements all the United Nations Security Council sanctions and the autonomous UK sanctions regimes.

Amendments

• On 19 October 2019, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 2019  came into force. It amended some general provisions.
• On 8 June 2022, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Law 2022 came into force. It amended the SAFL provisions regarding:
  • reporting obligations;
  • civil immunities provision;
  • definitions for the terms 'owned, held, controlled, directly and indirectly';
  • meaning of terrorism and related terms.
• On 17 July 2023, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Amendment No.3) (Jersey) Law 2023 came into force. It made changes to provisions related to:
  • licences and exceptions;
  • terrorist asset-freeze designations;
  • implementation of UN asset-freezing designations;
  • reporting obligations and the Minister’s powers to require information;
  • extra-territorial extent;
  • requests for UNSC asset-freezing designation and requests for assistance with UN delisting;
  • regulation making power;
  • removal of power to implement EU Sanctions by Order.
• On 30 March 2023, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Amendment of Law and Order) (Jersey) Order 2023 came into force with amendments of the SAFL definitions under Articles 2.
• On 18 September 2023, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Amendment of Law and Order No 2) (Jersey) Order 2023 came into force with further amendments of the SAFL definitions under Article 2(A). 
• On 14 December 2023, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions) (Iran – Amendment) (Jersey) Order 2023 came into force with further amendments to Iran sanctions regimes.
• On 5 December 2024, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions) (Jersey) Amendment Order 2024 came into force by amending certain sanctions regimes related to Burundi and DPRK.
• On 27 February 2025, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions – Director Disqualification) (Jersey) Amendment Order 2025 came into force by introducing Director disqualification sanctions in Jersey.
• On 25 April 2025, the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions – Syria) (Jersey) Amendment Order 2025 came into force, amending the regime's purpose and removing specific restrictive measures.

Alongside the UK Regulations, the Jersey Order still implements four 'EU claims Regulations' that prohibit the satisfaction of claims affected by UN Security Council Resolutions passed between 1990 and 1994 in relation to Iraq, Libya, Haiti and Serbia and Montenegro. Those 'EU claims Regulations' have not been implemented by the UK under its own sanctions legislation and have instead been retained in EU legislation.

Where any of the UK Regulations require an asset-freeze, the Jersey Order imposes the standard asset-freeze under Part 3 of the SAFL.

Offences

The offences for this regime are set out in both the SAFL and the Jersey Order. 

Industry: licences and breaches

A Jersey General Licence, granted by the Minister, allows multiple parties to conduct specified activities that sanctions measures would otherwise restrict. Supervised persons must ensure that their activities are within the scope of the General Licence's terms and that they adhere to all its conditions.

The Minister may also grant a specific licence under the SAFL and/or the Jersey Order.

To apply for a specific sanctions licence, a supervised person must complete the relevant Sanctions form and return it to [email protected].

The FSIU provides guidance on sanctions licences and exceptions on the Government of Jersey website Sanctions.

Suspected breaches of sanctions compliance must be reported to the Minister by completing the Sanctions Compliance Reporting Form. Once completed it must be returned to [email protected].